Val Chmerkovskiy Sits Out Dancing with the Stars Episode

A social media controversy involving a judge on Dancing with the Stars will keep professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy out of the show's Oct. 20 episode. BBC Studios, which produces the ABC competition, investigated a since-deleted post referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Chmerkovskiy's wife, Jenna Johnson.

Chmerkovskiy, 40, confirmed his suspension in a statement on Oct. 17. His absence from Dedication Night means eliminated professional dancer Alan Bersten will partner with Jenna Dewan for a Viennese waltz, according to the report by PEOPLE.

The suspension followed Chmerkovskiy's public apology on Oct. 15. PEOPLE reported that the action stemmed from his social media post and subsequent apology, rather than an alleged human resources complaint filed by Inaba, as some outlets had reported.

In the deleted TikTok status, Chmerkovskiy alluded to Smith slapping Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards while defending his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The post came after Inaba criticized Johnson's performance on the Oct. 13 episode.

Chmerkovskiy acknowledged that he had initially acted to defend his wife but recognized the implications of the reference.

"My instinct was to defend my wife" was how Chmerkovskiy described his initial reaction in his Oct. 17 statement.

He also explained his decision to use the reference in the post.

"I made a poor decision to reference a meme to 'keep my wife's name' out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention." Chmerkovskiy said.

He apologized directly to Inaba and acknowledged that his actions had drawn her into a controversy she did not deserve.

"Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was," Chmerkovskiy said.

He also emphasized that he did not want the controversy to overshadow the episode or the work of his dance partner, Jenna Dewan.

"The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in," Chmerkovskiy said.

He then expressed support for the show's participants ahead of Dedication Night.

"Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DTWS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on!!" Chmerkovskiy said.

BBC Studios addressed the controversy in a statement, describing the deleted post as inconsistent with the standards expected of people associated with the program.

"The post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show." BBC Studios said.

The production company said the decision reflected its commitment to the welfare of people working on the series.

"The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable," BBC Studios said.

The company also confirmed the immediate consequence for Chmerkovskiy.

"As a result, he will not participate in next week's show." BBC Studios said.

Dancing with the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC and Disney+, with episodes available to stream on Hulu the following day.